Immigration officers swoop on Westbury restaurant

A Westbury restaurant faces a financial penalty following an operation by a Home Office immigration enforcement team.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Tale of Spice 2 restaurant in Warminster Road last night and questioned staff to see if they had the right to be in the UK.

Officers arrested six Bangladeshi men, aged 22, 29, 40, 40, 45 and 54. Three of these men had overstayed their visas and the other three did not have the right to work in the UK.

The team also arrested a 28-year-old Sri Lankan man at a house nearby who was also not entitled to work in the UK.

All seven remain in detention while steps are taken to remove them from the country.

The Tale of Spice 2 will be served with a notice warning that a civil penalty of up to £10,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless proof is provided that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out.

This is a potential total of £60,000.

Kenny Chapman, head of the south west’s Immigration Enforcement Team, said: “We are working hard to track down people breaking the UK’s immigration laws and carry out regular operations across Wiltshire.

“Illegal working is not a victimless crime. It defrauds the taxpayer, undercuts honest employers and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities.

“Information from the public can be a huge help to our work and I would urge members of the public with information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch.”

Immigration officers were working with officers from Wiltshire Police during this operation.

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-spomsors/preventing-illegal-working/ or they can call the Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.